DVD-Audio To Establish Broader Market Position In 2001

8-Dec-00

With the gradual introduction of players for the developing DVD-Audio market segment, the industry can expect an accelerated growth rate around the world, according to a detailed study released by the International Recording Media Association (IRMA).""The year 2001 will be the most likely introduction year as replicators plan to have available some 40 million units for the new DVD-Audio players and combination models expected to reach the marketplace in greater numbers next year,"" said Charles Van Horn, IRMA President.""Estimates say it will take 8 to 24 months to build a meaningful catalog of titles for DVD-Audio or other systems. Copy protection has been an additional issue and possible higher prices for DVD-Audio releases could also limit demand,"" he said.Drawing on the extensive findings in the 413-page study that covers optical media around the world, the IRMA Optical Media Market Intelligence Service forecasts rapid growth for DVD-Audio, including a more than doubling of software to 97 million replicated units worldwide in 2002.""As we have seen in DVD-Video, highly competitive pricing at the retail level helped grow the market to some 194 million replicated units in 1999 worldwide, with a 474 million target this year,"" Van Horn said.The IRMA study suggests CD audio will begin to reflect some erosion in its sales after 2001 due to DVD-Audio and possibly growth of SACD, the Sony-Philips Super Audio CD format. ""But existing CD audio participants would be expected to make up for the decline by replicating the new formats,"" he added.For more information about IRMA, visit www.recordingmedia.org.

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